Vacuum cleaner nozzle



March 14, 1961 H. WESSEL 2,974,348

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE Filed Feb. 16, 1955 FIGJ 3 l- 2 INVENTOR.

fl/m s I I 33.54

Unite The invention refers to a cleaning apparatus, consisting of brushes and suction openings adjacent to these brushes, which are attached to a suction device, in particular a vacuum cleaner. In accordance with the invention, only a part of the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is fitted with tufts of bristles, while the remaining part is provided with suction openings, between which there are individual webs which serve to support the relatively thin wall of the brush unit.

A further development of the basic idea of this invention consists of the following: proceeding from the main fitting of the vacuum cleaner with tufts of bristles, which are mainly placed on one side, individualtufts of bristles, in the shape of projecting transverse rows or in projecting clusters or wedge-shaped arrangements, are placed at suitable locations outside of the suction slits, in particular at the border areas and in the areas of the webs which have been provided. These tufts o'f bristles have the same length as the tufts of bristles of the main fitting, and have the purpose of providing firm guidance as the nozzle unit glides over the surface to be cleaned, and in particular that of preventing tilting or canting. This tilting would have the disadvantage that the suction openings would no longer be at the optimum distance from the surface which is to be vacuum-cleaned. In fact, if there is a high degree of tilting, it can even happen that that side of the nozzle unit farthest from the main fitting with tufts of bristles can approach so close tothe surface to be cleaned that it touches it, so that in practice the desired pre-vacuum cleaning is rendered impossible. If, on the other hand, in accordance with the invention, tufts of bristles are provided at projecting points, these have the eflect of forminga support, thereby preventing any canting or tilting. This arrangement with extra tufts of bristles is particularly important if' the nozzle'is provided with a nozzle swivel joint. In the States Patent I that the dirt also includes fluid and gummy ingredientg' such as oils, waxes, greases and the like, which during to a suction device, in particular a vacuum cleaner. In

connection with vacuum cleaners the problem constantly occurs that there is no vacuum-cleaning apparatus that,

is adapted to the manifold requirements which arise in the vacuum-cleaning of various kinds of dirt. Either a vacuum cleaner is especially suitable for removing the fine dust or it is particularly effective when it is necessary to move larger and heavier types of dirt into the in- I terior of the suction nozzle with adequate dependability and speed.

In accordance with the invention, all these disad tween 1 and 10 mm. Very small distances'of one or a case of a nozzle with a rigidly fixed'connecting' pipe, r

the person doing the cleaning can, With-proper care see to it and manipulate it so that the nozzle unit with its bristles is kept in the proper position relative'to the surface to be cleaned, If, however, a swivel joint is provided such careful manipulation isno longer possible,

since the nozzle unit automatically adjusts its position to the surface to becleaned. It is particularly in connection with this type of nozzle construction that the proper automatic guidanceby .the use of "additional transverse bristles becomes relevant and of importance.

In cleaning apparatus such as vacuum-, polishing-, and clothes-brushes which have suction openings, the disadvantage often. occurs that in the course of time dust or other dirt collects on the tufts of bristles and sticks to the individual bristles, which is a disadvantage insofar as the efiiciency of the brush is thereby impaired, particularly if one remembers the fact that this dirt firmly adheres to the individual bristles, causes the bristles to stick to each other to a certain extent, and hardens the Whole brush, particularly in the upper parts of the latter. This change is intensified above all by the fact few millimeters have the advantage of a high suction speed, so that dust particles can be sucked into the suction slit with particularly great force. However, such small slits will not always be used since then heavier dirt is held back at the front, that is, before the front wall of the suction nozzles by this wall, and 'does not get sucked in.

In order to be able to take advantage of the favorable effect of a high degree of suction, such as is afforded by a particularly small distance of one or a few millimeters and nevertheless to have the possibility of removing heavier dirt which is often found on the surface to be cleaned besides fine dust, it has proven to be useful to have two different kinds of suction slits on the same vacuum cleaner, that is, both suction slits which open at a very small distance of one or only a few millimeters above the surface to be cleaned, and in addition other suction slits which open at a considerably greater dis high specific weight, such as fine metal particles, rnetal dust, filings, paper clips, pins andthe like are certain to be sucked inas a result of the high speed and strong suction from the suction slits opening close to the floor. v I

Coarser matter, such as paper scraps, cigarette butts and the like,which to be sure are relatively bulky in their dimensions but are relatively light because of the'low specific weight of the material of which they are-made, are not, it is true, sucked. in by the nozzle slits which open close to the floor, since they are pushed aheadof thecle aner' by the walls of the nozzle slits'. But these bulky items'can b'e sucked in by the other nozzle -openings which open at a substantially greater distance from the surface to be cleaned. Furthermorq'it is expedient to make the dimensions of these nozzles bigger and to make their air flow channels wider and broader, so that these bulky items really get sucked in and do not get stuck in the interior of the channels.

It is advantageous to make the dimensions of the noz- I I zle channels which extend further down very narrow, so

as to make the suction speed high not only at the open- 2,974,318. Patented Mar. 14,

it has been sucked, in is actually carried, as a result of A the high speed, into the interior of the suction channels, and does not fall back again as a result of its own weight.

Since as a rule suction nozzles are also intended to be used to remove dirt and dust from the corners of rooms and from other places to which access is relatively diflicult, and since it has been established that dust and dirt cling relatively stubbornly to these corners and cannot be removed without difficulty, it can be of advantage to make the nozzles in such a way that the suction power for use in corners is particularly strong. For this purpose'the suction opening are given a very special shape; care is taken so that the distance between the nozzle opening and the floor is not uniform along the entire length of the nozzle slit, but reaches a minimum in the direction of the narrow side of the nozzle unit.

Details of the invention are more fully explained by the drawings attached hereto in which illustrate:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a cleaning apparatus provided with narrow slits along one longitudinal edge and with relatively broad slits along the other longitu dinal edge of the apparatus;

. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the apparatus taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 4;

' Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 4 and being drawn in an enlarged scale; and

' Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the cleaning appaslits and are disposed in forward to rearward alignment with the suction channels 20, 22 and 24. It is noted that the suction channels 20,22 and 24 are of relatively large area and that the slits 46, 48 and 50 are arranged transversely to the forward direction of the movement of the body.

In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the space 60 between the lower edge of the bristles and that of the nozzle openings 46, 48 and 50 is substantially smaller than the space 62 between the lower edge of the bristles and that of the suction openings 20, 22 and 24.- On account of this, the dirt on the ground can be sucked in because of higher air speed through the slits 46, 48 and 50 and the big openings 20, 22 and 24 are desirable for more suction removal of bulky material.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A'nozzle for a vacuum cleaner device comprising a body with a working face having a forward leading edge,

" said body having a plurality of aligned elongated suction channels therein positioned in spaced apart relation to each other defining webs therebetween and extending through said working face and located rearwardly of said forward leading edge of said body, said webs having recesses therein, said body having a groove therein, a main bristle unit received in said groove and including bristle tufts located forwardly of said suction channels and extending transversely to the direction of normal movement of said body, auxiliary tufts of bristles located rearwardly of and contiguous to said forwardly located tufts of bris- 1 The body is provided with a plurarity of aligned elongated suction channels as are indicated at 20, 22 and 24, respectively, positioned in spaced apart relation to each other defining webs as at 26 and 28 therebetween. It is noted that the suction channels 20, 22' and 24 are located rearwardly of the forward leading edge 16 of the 1 body. The webs have recesses therein as indicated at 30 and 32, respectively, which recesses communicate with the groove 34 in the body. A main bristle unit 36 is received in the groove 34 and includes bristle tufts 38 located forwardly of the suction channels 20, 22 and nozzle 10 when the nozzle is moved over a surface to be cleaned and prevents canting while offering simultaneously a substantially unobstructed suction effect through the suction channels 20, 22 and 24. The working face 14 is provided with a group of suction openings 46, 48 and 50, which are relatively elongated to form tles and in said recesses in said webs between said suction channels, said auxiliary tufts of bristles being of substantially the same length as that of said forwardly located tufts'of bristles to provide effective guidance for said nozzle when same is moved over a surface to be cleaned andfpreventing'canting while offering simultaneously a substantially unobstructed suction effect through said suction channels, said working face being provided with a group of suction openings adjacent said leading edge, said suction openings being relatively elongated to form slits and disposed in forward to rearward alignment with said suction channels of relatively large area, at least one of said slits 'being arranged transversely to the forward direction of movement of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

